


Just Right

by puff22_2001



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Conflict, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fandom Allusions & Cliches & References, Female Friendship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Miscommunication, Multi, Past Relationship(s), also the one where Jadeite comes back, specifically the one where the Inners dunk on Usagi, the original dub was really steeped in catfighting and toxic relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 08:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20171470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puff22_2001/pseuds/puff22_2001
Summary: Months after Beryl, the girls still have't accepted Serena as their leader. Serena seeks out Darien in her despair. Luckily for them both, it's together that they truly shine.This work is posted as-is from my earliest known draft, circa 2004.





	Just Right

**Author's Note:**

> This story is over fifteen years old. I haven't edited the fanfiction in any way since then. There are character assassinations, cliches, and a whole host of other problems. I'm mainly uploading this fanfic so that I can have all of my fanworks in one centralized location with acceptable filing and tagging systems. I plan to eventually go back and at least edit for basic errors, but until then what you see is what you get.
> 
> This work is posted as-is from my earliest known draft, circa 2004.

Disclaimer- I do not own Bishoujo Senshi SailorMoon/Sailor Moon or any of its persons, places, things, plots, or ideas. Naoko Takeuchi, a bunch of people and corporations in Japan, and a bunch of people and corporations in America own it. I, in no way, shape or form, say I own it. Please don't sue me.

"Geez, where IS Serena? The scout meeting started thirty minutes ago!" Raye Hino nearly screamed at her three friends. Lita Kino and Mina Aino simply shrugged and Amy Mizuno, having known Serena Tsukino the longest, was about to reply when none other then the aforementioned party burst through Raye's bedroom entry and stood panting in the doorway.  
"Where WERE you? The meeting started thirty minutes ago. Luna and Artemis would be FURIOUS if they were here, but thankfully, they're at Mina's house taking a long deserved nap. So where were you?" Raye snapped as Serena slipped into Raye's director's chair. Amy sighed, put down the book she was reading and unenthusiastically came to Serena's defense.  
"Leave her alone, Raye. I'm sure she has a good excuse." She answered with little conviction in her own words. The others leaned in to hear Serena's daily alibi.  
"I was busy."  
"Busy? BUSY? What in the hell is more important the saving the world? I can't believe how irresponsible you are!" Raye shrieked. The others prepared themselves for Serena's wail fest after Raye insulted her.  
"Oh, lay off it, Raye. We defeated Queen Beryl and the Negaforce months ago, and then I killed those last two monsters that escaped from the Negaverse. On my own, alone. So back off!"  
"That's not the point! You know we have to keep up to date on the readings Amy gets on her computer. Gosh, you are so lazy sometimes!"  
"Yeah Serena. I mean, when the going gets tough, you get going and do your best. One of these days you may be two late though." Lita put in guiltily. She hated betraying Serena like this, but she felt she had to get the group's opinion across. Serena turned to Mina who, although sheepishly, said her piece.  
"I hate to agree with Raye on this one, but you do slack off a lot. You could be responsible and have fun too. I mean, I did it all the time in England!" Serena, feeling heavily backstabbed, turned to Amy.  
"Amy, you too?"  
"I'm sorry Serena, but you must get you priorities straight. I'm pretty sure you can't spend every second trying to get Darien to remember you." Serena stood and gazed on the girls she had spent the better part of a year with, the girls who she thought were her friends, and decided she couldn't take it anymore.  
"Well, I guess this is the general consensus. I should go, but before I do, I want you to know . . . I tried my best." With that she left, being sure to close the sliding partition on her way out. After the initial shock of Serena not bursting into tears, and knowing what consensus meant, the girls finally noticed she was gone.  
"Oh my, I think we really hurt her feelings this time." Amy whispered miserably. Raye snorted and slid into her favorite beanbag, but not before replying cynically,  
"Oh don't worry Ames. I bet that tomorrow she'll come bouncing in here, all happy-snappy again." The others tried to be as optimistic, but before beginning the actual meeting, Lita summed up the group's feeling with,  
"I hope you're right, Raye. I really hope you're right."  
~*~*~*~*~  
But Raye wasn't right at all. The next day Serena missed school and never came to the scout meeting. The group believed (or hoped) Serena had just never left her house that morning, stung as she was from their betrayal.   
The four, sitting down with guilty looks, were just about to start the meeting when Raye's bedroom phone rang with acute clarity. Raye got up to answer it across the room, murmured into the receiver, and came back white in the face. She didn't even sit down to deliver her news.  
"Serena never went home last night. Mrs. Tsukino has been calling our houses all day, but we've all been out. She just called the police a few minutes before she called me. Guys, I really think we did it this time." The other three, with no indication at all, burst from their seats and went to look for Serena, with a now weeping Raye in tow. None of the girls noticed the lone figured in back of the temple. The figure was sitting on the Oakwood bench in front of the small pond, and didn't stir when she heard her friends state their plans to find her to one another. Serena was disheveled, weak, and numb with hurt and sorrow and didn't even notice when she rose and walked towards a particular building in the distance. And as she walked slowly down the back allies to not be seen, one thread of thought repeated itself in her mind.  
"Darien won't care. Darien still loves me. Darien thought I was the greatest. Darien won't care . . . "  
~*~*~*~*~  
Darien Chiba was just about to plunk down on his sofa with his first edition Hemmingway when a timid knock came at the door to his spacious apartment. Darien rose with a slightly aggravated sigh and opened his door, expecting another solicitor. Instead, Darien found himself face to face with a petite blond with two spheres atop her head, A la Meatball. Darien smiled as warmly as he could. Serena was a mystery to Darien. Even with all his jabs and insults, Serena never stopped being sweet and kind to him. It just made him love her more.  
'Hold on one damn second here. I love her? When did this happen? I've only known her for a few months.' Darien thought, surprised. But Darien knew that in his heart he had loved her from the minute he had awoken in his hospital room with her holding his hand. She had told him he'd had a nasty accident (no one really knew what kind of misfortune) and had been nothing but nice and perky to him since. He loved her hair, her bunny nose, her way of making friends with anyone who came her way. And Darien knew he'd love her always. These thoughts and others along that line ran through his head as he leaned on his frame and greeted his visitor.  
"So, Meatball Head, what brings you to my humble abode?"  
Darien never got an answer, because the exhaustion from lack of sleep, malnourishment (she hadn't eaten since lunch the day before,) and pure emotional sorrow finally caught up with Serena, and she fainted at his surprised feet. Darien, after regaining his wits, gently picked Serena up and carried her into his apartment. He couldn't just leave her out there, prey to any nut to come along. And as he placed her softly on his couch, a whiff of Serena's Roses are Red perfume took his breath away. Moving to his recliner, Darien sat down to watch his fragile butterfly for as long as it took.  
~*~*~*~*~  
"Owww . . . my head. What happened? I feel like a two by four hit me. Wait . . . where am I?" Serena winced as she gently fingered her newly acquired bump, courtesy of Darien's doorframe. As her thoughts cleared, Serena remembered where she was . . . and why. Her eyes welled up in tears, and Serena curled up into the couch and wailed, not caring who heard her. These weren't the tears Serena shed when Mina accidentally ran into her, or when her cooking wasn't up to par. These were tears of the deepest pain, the sharpest hurt. It was bad enough the scouts didn't think she was capable of being their leader, but what hurt the most was the had even considered replacing her so long ago. Oh, Serena had acted as if she didn't care or that she was just mad, but their treachery had been a knife through her pure heart. And even now, so long after so many battles Serena had won, they still thought her nothing more then a clumsy, klutzy, crybaby who couldn't even lead sheep. That was what hurt the most.  
Darien, coming from the kitchen (where he had gone for coffee after sitting for two hours beside Serena in a hopeful vigil,) heard her sobbing and wanted to run to her and hold her tight. But besides her probably thinking him insane, he somehow knew through intuition that she wanted to be alone. So he sat at his counter, sipped his coffee, and listened intently to Serena's whimpering.  
Serena had been howling for nearly thirty minutes when an incessant beeping broke into her grief. Serena took one look at her blaring communicator, ripped it from her arm, and held it high.  
"Fuck the Sailor Scouts! If they don't think I'm capable enough to be in charge, they can make that bitch, Mars, the leader!" And with that she threw her communicator against the white stucco wall. She smirked when it crunched and stopped, then continued crying. Darien, on the other hand, was standing behind the kitchen door, gaping. He had heard it all, and one thought was racing through his mind.  
'Serena is . . . Sailor Moon?'  
~*~*~*~*~  
"Come on and answer me!" Lita screamed at her beeping communicator. Finally, She heard, to her relief, Serena's voice come through. But what she heard seriously dampened her newly risen spirits.  
"Fuck the Sailor Scouts! If they don't think I'm capable enough to be in charge, they can make that bitch, Mars, the leader!" Then a crunch, and nothing but static coming through. Raye just sobbed louder while a panicking Mina tried to calm her. They had finally halted their search in the park for yet another try at the communicator. Raye was curled up into a ball on the bench, and Amy was looking absently at the roses in the gardens. Lita was feeling horrible. Serena was irresponsible, but she always came through. Even that time Raye and Amy wouldn't come to help, Serena and herself had won the day, mostly with Sailor Moon as the victor. Now, because of some ill-thought and carelessly said remarks, they might lose Sailor Moon AND Serena . . . forever. It was the kind of thought that really bummed Lita out. Turning to the others she tried to sound hopeful, and failed miserably.  
"Um, at least she's alive." Mina was about to respond when a shrill scream cut through the air. Turning to where the shriek had come from, the four saw a hideous cat/dog/parrot type monster attacking a young couple. Forgetting Serena just a little bit, they transformed, even Raye, who was still weeping as she said her transformation phrase.  
"Mercury Power!"  
"Mars Power!"  
"Jupiter Power!"  
"Venus Power!" Soon in their place stood four warriors in their respective attire. As they ran towards the now comatose couple and the monster (who was stealing a squirrel's energy,) they all silently prayed for Serena to come.  
~*~*~*~*~  
Darien had calmed down a little by the time of the monster's attack, and waited for Serena to at least stop crying so HARD. When he heard her hiccup and stop crying completely, he walked in.  
"Hi, Serena." Serena gasped, and then shot him a look of pure joy. Jumping from her perch on the couch she ran to him and squeezed him tight.  
"Oh Darien, my friends were so mean! They backstabbed me, and said I wasn't fit to be the leader of the sail . . . " Here she remembered who she was talking to, and what he didn't remember. She shut her mouth tight, but he didn't even seem fazed. He gently hugged her back, and sat her down on the couch.  
"I figured something was up when you showed up on my doorstep. Tell me all about it." She then proceeded to tell him everything. For a while she was careful to avoid anything related to the scouts, but soon she fell in a whole description of what her friends had did to her, even from the beginning. How they had wanted her to give up the wand. How they had always been so critical. How Sailor Mars had had to wait for her to ask for the wand back before she would give it. Darien sat quietly, letting her tell him it all, and patting her hand when he felt the time was right. Only when she had finished did she remembered she wasn't supposed to tell him about the scouts. Her face scrunched up and tears filled her eyes. She began to cry softly, and she didn't notice the look of despair Darien gave her as he rubbed her back. She managed whispers in between her sobs.  
"Oh great. Now I've done it. No wonder everyone thinks I'm an idiot! I can't believe I just told you everything!" Serena wailed. Darien winced. It hurt him to see her this way, and he said the only thing he could think of to make her stop crying.  
"Don't worry. Don't worry! I already knew."  
"You . . . you did? How?"  
"I heard you talking to yourself when I went to get coffee. I didn't want to disturb you, so I hung out in my kitchen for a while. I'm sorry for what they did to you." Serena hugged him tighter and was going to thank him for his concern when a shooting pain shot through Serena's forehead. He moon birthmark appeared, and she fell from her seat, her arms going limp as she fell. Darien panicked, leapt to her side, and watched in awe and fascination as she transformed into Sailor Moon before his eyes as she tried to rise. But she wasn't the Sailor Moon he and the world knew. She had white boots with two crescent moon halves meeting in the middle, forming a complete moon on them. A navy blue skirt with a white under-skirt graced her hips. Her gloves where white as well, with red trimming and crescent moons at the elbows. A red double bow sat upon her bosom, and her brooch was directly in the middle. Her forehead bore no tiara, save her birthmark and three pure white beads one each side. Her white meatball covers shone cheerily. Her chocker, having once been red with a crescent moon, now was white with a crescent moon and star. And her earrings were the same as her chocker charm. Soon the pain subsided to a dull throbbing, and suddenly Sailor Moon knew her friends were in danger and were being hurt. But she also knew that she needed her tuxedoed hero to save her in case she failed. Turning around, she let the light of her glowing birthmark fall onto Darien's forehead. As she did so, Darien just ogled her, not believing how beautiful she looked. She was now both Princess Serena and Sailor Moon, and even Serena now. All three beings living as one. She bore a look of sadness in her eyes as she stated her ultimatum.  
"Darien, before I regain your memories, you must give me permission. I do not want to ruin your normal life. Thus, you must choose. A regular life without the pain and suffering a protector of Sailor Moon must go through or once again becoming Tuxedo Mask, defender of justice and myself. You must choose quickly, for my guardians are in danger." Darien snapped back into reality, and pondered her statement.  
'I was once a defender of Sailor Moon? When was this? And what kind of suffering? Do I really want to suffer pain?' But even as he thought theses thoughts, he knew his answer. He felt it his duty, no, his honor to protect such a pure heart. How her knew she had a pure heart didn't cross his mind. He just knew it was destiny that he should guard and love Sailor Moon, Serena, and any other people she may be.  
"Please regain my memories, so that I can protect you again." She smiled benevolently and with love.  
"It shall be so." Her birthmark began to shine even more brilliantly, and then an acute beam of light shot from her forehead to Darien's. Memories filled his mind. Him saving Sailor Moon so many times. Him being struck by Zoisite's glass shard. Him dying in Princess Serena's arms. He also experienced memories from his lifetime as Prince Darien and beyond. Soon, he had every memory restored, including some he didn't have before. Sailor Moon watched now as HE transformed into Tuxedo Mask in a swirl of light. But he too was different then his old persona. His Tuxedo was dark lavender, no longer the black before. His top hat was an inch or two shorter, and his cane had a miniature, glowing globe of the Earth on the top. And his mask was bejeweled with rubies in the shape of roses. After seeing him transform, Sailor Moon reverted back into Serena as Sailor Moon, ditzy but determined. "We've got to go. The scouts are in danger."  
"Right." Then Tuxedo Mask grabbed Sailor Moon by the waist, kissed her passionately, and swung through his balcony window off to the park.  
~*~*~*~*~  
"Where is Sailor Moon? We need her here!" Sailor Mercury gasped as the monster tried to bite her arm off with its doglike head. Sailor Mars was skipping about to distract it while Sailor Mercury scanned it grotesque form for weaknesses. But Sailor Mars had to do her job solo. Sailor Venus had been K. O. early on, and was now frantically being protected by Sailor Jupiter, as wounded as she was. The monster was tired enough and weak enough from the scouts' attacks to be destroyed, but Sailor Moon was the only one who could do so. The scouts had tried every attacked they had to destroy the thing, but it absorbed or dodged them all.  
"Hey you!" Sailor Mercury whipped around and nearly cried for joy. For standing there was not only a strangely dressed Sailor Moon, but Tuxedo Mask as well. Sailor Moon strode up to the still rampaging monster and blasted pure energy at it from her wand. The monster keeled, screamed once more, and dissipated back into a collie dog, a Siamese cat, and a parakeet. Sailor Moon was astonished at how easy her attack was, but still felt the urge to say her speech "I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice! In the name of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil. And that means you!"  
"Ha, ha, ha!" A familiar voice rang out. Everyone turned to the sky where the voice had come from. "Hello Sailor Moon. I was waiting for you and Cape Boy. I see you've gotten pretty new clothes. I just hope they protect you better then this loser ever did." Jadeite floated above them and was covered in little shards of ice or crystal. He had a wild look in his eyes and a sneer on his face.  
"Where did you come from?" Sailor Moon asked. He scoffed as Tuxedo Mask went to her side and gazed at Jadeite with what could only be described as pure hatred with a little sorrow mixed in.  
"I come from the Negaverse, where Beryl the Bitch trapped me within a hunk of crystal. But I absorbed those weak monsters' powers and energy that came too close, or came to ogle at me like I was a common specimen, under a laboratory microscope. And then, when you killed Queen Beryl, her spell was destroyed. I've been recuperating in what remains of the Negaverse for months, until I was powerful enough to destroy you sluts. So I guess I should be thanking you, Sailor Moon. Because of you, I can get my revenge. I can now kill you!" Without warning, Jadeite shot a ball of energy at the beaten scouts. Sailor Moon screamed, ran in front of them all, and quickly used her crystal to fend off another attack. A pure white dome encased them as Tuxedo Mask went running to Sailor Moon's side and helped her hold the crystal steady.  
"Run, scouts! Run!"  
"No, we won't leave you! Not after what we did!" Sailor Venus had regained wakefulness by this time. All four were standing behind Sailor Moon and were unconsciously giving their powers to Sailor Moon. Unexpectedly Sailor Moon became princess Serena in a flash of hot, white light. Tuxedo Mask became Prince Darien in much the same way. But what surprised even Jadeite was then, in a flash of each scout's color, each scout became her princess form, wearing their lovely dresses and their birthmarks shining brightly. Princess Serena sensed this and asked for help.  
"Please, my friends, help me. Lend me your powers to defeat this evil man, so he can rest in peace."  
"Mercury Cosmic Power!"  
"Mar Cosmic Power!"  
"Jupiter Cosmic Power!"  
"Venus Cosmic Power!" Each glowing in their aura color, they gave Princess Serena the power she needed.  
"I will kill you Sailor Brats! I will kill you!"  
"Go where your soul may wander, Jadeite, and trouble us no more!" Using the last of her strength, Princess Serena condensed her power into one stream of pure light and energy, even with the insufferable pain Jadeite's attack induced. Hitting Jadeite dead on, she shot through him and gave him his fatal wound.  
"NOOOOOOOOO!" With one last scream, Jadeite gasped, bent double, looked where his stomach should have been, and exploded in a cloud of black dust. Princess Serena, having used all her might and her friends' as well, fell in her lover's arms. They all transformed back into their normal selves and surrounded Serena's lifeless form. They knew the only reason they were all alive was because of Princess Serena, Serena, and Sailor Moon's sacrifice. They couldn't live without her. It just wasn't possible. They shook her and gently swatted her, and did anything they could to wake her. Sadly, all was in vain.  
"Come on, Serena wake up! You saved the day again. I am so sorry I ever doubted you. Come one Serena, wake up!" Raye mourned as the tears began to fall. But much like that fateful day the crystal appeared, her tear, along with one of each of her comrades, hovered together, combined and floated above Serena's person. Slowly, as they all watched in awe, the drop of tear turned into a crystal, and floated down into Serena prone body. When it hit, Serena gasped for air and slowly opened her eyes. With a loving and knowing glace at her friends, she gradually sat up.  
"Hi guys. You're love brought me back. I was in a calm, endlessly white void, floating freely. I felt at peace, and safe. Queen Serenity came to me then and told me, because you were so sorry for what you did (even though it wasn't so bad anyway) and because of the good we've all done, I was allowed to either come back to you, or stay as my pure energy form. I chose to come back. I couldn't leave you guys alone. And your love took a piece of your souls, and put them into me. So now I really am your soul sister." Being mobbed by hugs and drowned by joyous tears, the scout of the moon felt much happier then she had before the fight. Looking over her friends' shoulders, she gave Darien a knowing glance. Then, when the scouts had had their fill of hugs, kisses and pats, Serena went and pulled Darien up and clung to his arm.  
"Guys, I want you to re-meet someone. Say hi to Prince Darien, Tuxedo Mask, and Darien Chiba, my old and new boyfriend." The scouts were, of course, thrilled. And as Serena got up with her chivalrous boyfriend on her arm, her friends surrounding her with love, and her family waiting impatiently for her at home, Serena felt just right.

Notes-  
1\. This story takes place a couple of months after the defeat of Queen Beryl. No one died, and no one lost his or her memories except for Darien. It must be a strain on the memory, being evil. And Alan and Ann are late, or something.  
2\. I wrote this story as the NA version because, well, I thought it would sound better.  
3\. If this story seems a bit abrupt, I was going for a like couple of episodes in the anime/cartoon. Like, Serena gets her first power-ups in one or two episodes. Also, I was trying to get it posted fast. If someone can suggest more filler, please do.  
4\. I can't stress it enough, please give CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.  
5\. I'd like to thank all the story authors who inspired me to write this. There are too many to name, so if you have any work at http://www.fanfiction.net, chances are I've read it and I mean you.  
6\. Please read some of my poetry and review. I like to get reviews.


End file.
